Hulu aims hot streams at Japan

Australia next?

Hulu, the popular US online TV service, is launching in Japan - its first venture outside home territory.

Japanese viewers can watch stuff across connected TVs, gaming and entertainment consoles, Blu-ray players, smartphones, tablets and PCs – without advertising – for JPY1,480 per month (about £11.90 / $19.26). The service is free in its first month.

On offer are hundreds of films and thousands of episodes of TV shows furnished by CBS, NBC, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney and Warner Bros.

In due course Hulu will add more Japanese shows and content from other Asian countries.

Australia is also on Hulu's wish list: talks are currently underway with Australian broadcasters and IPTV players.

Talks are said to be underway to buy Hulu, which put itself on the block in June.

Frontrunners to buy Hulu include Google, Amazon and Yahoo!, according to trade reports.